1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bellows tube installation device for fitting a length of bellows tube over a filamentous body, such as electric wire or the like.
2. Statement of the Prior Art
For convenience of illustration, a conventional method for fitting or installing electric wire into a bellows tube will be explained with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a bellows tube into which a length of electric wire is inserted.
In a electric wiring system for automobiles, for example, an electric wire W is sometimes received within a bellows tube T, as shown in FIG. 15, in order to protect the electric wire having connected thereto connectors at each end thereof so as to maintain flexibility of the wire. The electric wire W often constitutes a portion of a wiring harness to which connectors C are connected at each end thereof, so that it is usually impossible to install the bellows tube T onto the electric wire W from one end thereof. Accordingly, installation of the bellows tube T onto such an electric wire W is conventionally performed by manually enlarging a slit D formed longitudinally in the bellows tube so as to insert the electric wire W into the bellows tube T through such an enlarged slit.
In such a conventional method, it requires a substantial force to manually enlarge the slit, since the bellows tube T is not easily deformed upon application of a force in a radial direction, due to protrusions and recesses of the bellows tube serving as ribs to strengthen the bellows tube. Thus, it is very tiresome and not efficient to insert an electric wire W into a bellows tube T through a slit D while manually enlarging the slit.